R&B Star Ne-Yo To Feature as Guest of Star in Coke Studio Africa

R&B Star To Feature as Guest of Star in Coke Studio Africa

R&B star Ne-yo is set feature in Coca-Cola’s flagship African music show, Coke Studio Africa, for the new season.

Ne-yo, whose birth name is Shaffer Chimere, will be the guest star of the show that purposes to celebrate and showcase the diversity of African musical talent by giving upcoming artists the opportunity to work with some of the best local and international music and production talent.

Last month he graced the MTV Africa Music Awards 2015, recently held in South Africa. During a red carpet interview at the event, Ne-Yo mentioned that he had an upcoming major African project and talks were underway.

Ne-Yo is expected to work on a special Coke Studio Africa song alongside 5 select stars from Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique who have already recorded mash-ups for the new season.

His latest album, Non – Fiction was released in January of 2015. The album reached number five on the US Billboard 200, making Ne-Yo the second male R&B artist to have six consecutive top – 10 albums, following Chris Brown in 2014.

The new season has so far seen the likes of Chameleone, Olamide, Jua Cali,Yemi Alade, Wangechi, Alikiba, 2 Face Idibia, Fid Q, Maurice Kirya and Neyma, among others record in the exciting new mash-up arrangement.

Grammy Award nominee, musician and producer Zwai Bala, of groundbreaking South African Kwaito group TKZee, have been working as the music director while Brett Lotriet, a renowned International TV director and producer will be the series producer.

In addition, the musicians along with the highly talented house band have also presented new tracks each week produced by both local and international producers.

Some of the producers include Jaaz Odongo, Eric Musyoka and Kevin Provoke from Kenya, Cobhams Asuquo, Masterkraft and Chopstix from Nigeria, Owour Arunga from USA, Nahreel

Unlike other music programmes that focus on the emergence of a winner, Coke Studio Africa has a non-competitive format.